Max Hastings facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir Max Hastings
FRSL FRHistS
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Hastings in 2013
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Max Hugh Macdonald Hastings
28 December 1945 Lambeth, London, England
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| Education | University College, Oxford |
| Occupation | Journalist, editor, author |
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| Children | 3 |
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| Relatives | Clare Hastings (sister) |
Sir Max Hugh Macdonald Hastings (born 28 December 1945) is a British journalist and writer who focuses on military history. He has worked as a reporter for the BBC, led The Daily Telegraph newspaper, and edited the Evening Standard. He has written many books, mostly about history, and has won several important awards for his work. Today, Hastings writes a column for Bloomberg Opinion and also contributes to The Times and The Sunday Times.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Max Hastings was born in London. His father, Macdonald Hastings, was also a journalist and reported on wars. His mother, Anne Scott-James, was an editor for Harper's Bazaar magazine. Max went to Charterhouse School and then to University College, Oxford. He left Oxford after one year to start his career.
A Career in Journalism
Max Hastings moved to the United States in 1967. He spent a year learning about journalism at the World Press Institute. After this, he wrote his first book, America, 1968: The Fire This Time. This book was about the exciting and sometimes difficult year 1968 in the US.
He became a foreign correspondent, which means he reported from other countries. He covered news from more than sixty countries and reported on eleven different wars. He worked for the BBC's Twenty-Four Hours TV show and for the Evening Standard newspaper in London.
One of his most famous moments was during the 1982 Falklands War. He was the first journalist to enter Port Stanley with the British forces on the last day of the war.
After this, he spent ten years as the editor and then editor-in-chief of The Daily Telegraph. In 1996, he went back to the Evening Standard as its editor. He retired from that role in 2002. For his important work in journalism, he was made a Knight Bachelor in 2002. This means he received the title "Sir" from the Queen.
Award-Winning Author
Sir Max Hastings has written many books about history. His book Bomber Command won the Somerset Maugham Award in 1980. Two other books, Overlord and The Battle for the Falklands, both won the Yorkshire Post Book of the Year prize.
He has also won many awards for his journalism. In 1982, he was named Journalist of the Year and Reporter of the Year. In 1988, he was named Editor of the Year. In 2010, he received the Royal United Services Institute's Westminster Medal for his lifetime work in military writing.
In 2012, he received the US$100,000 Pritzker Military Library Literature Award. This is a special award for writers who have made a big impact on military writing. Sir Max is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and the Royal Historical Society. From 2002 to 2007, he was the President of the Campaign to Protect Rural England, which works to protect the English countryside.
His 2007 book, Nemesis: The Battle for Japan, 1944–45, looked at the end of the Pacific War. Some people in Australia had different ideas about how he described Australia's role in the war. However, many critics praised the book for being fair and well-written.
Sir Max Hastings wrote a column for the Daily Mail from 2002 to 2008. He also writes articles for other newspapers like The Guardian and The Sunday Times. He continues to write a column for Bloomberg Opinion every two months.
Personal Life
Sir Max Hastings lives near Hungerford, Berkshire, with his second wife, Penelope, whom he married in 1999. He has a son and a daughter from his first marriage to Patricia Edmondson. He dedicated his 2007 book, Nemesis: The Battle for Japan 1944–45, to the memory of his son, Charles.
Political Views
Sir Max Hastings has supported different political parties in the UK. He has voted for both the Conservative Party and the Labour Party. For example, he supported the Labour Party in the 1997 and 2001 general elections. However, he supported the Conservative Party in the 2010 election. He believed that no government should stay in power for too long.
In 2014, he was one of 200 public figures who signed a letter against Scottish independence. This was before a vote on whether Scotland should become an independent country.
In 2019, he shared his strong opinions about Boris Johnson, who was hoping to become the leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister. Hastings felt that Johnson was not suitable for such an important job. He believed Johnson cared more about his own fame than the country. He also thought Johnson's time as Prime Minister would not respect rules or stability.
Sir Max has continued to express his views on British politics. He has written that the idea of a "celebrity government" has not worked. He believes the next leader needs to help Britain be seen as a serious country again.
In 2021, he wrote about the future of the United Kingdom. He supported the idea of a United Ireland. However, he was against Scottish independence and Welsh independence. He also wrote about the growing possibility of a conflict between the United States and China over Taiwan.
Documentaries and TV
Sir Max Hastings has also presented historical documentaries for the BBC.
- Wellington Bomber, a BBC documentary from 2010.
- The Necessary War, a BBC documentary from 2014 about the start of the First World War.
See also
In Spanish: Max Hastings para niños
